What has made myspace so big?

Soldato
Joined
24 Oct 2002
Posts
5,103
Location
edinburgh
Hey guys.

Ok firstly I did a search for myspace in the GD forum just to check what the talk was before. I dont want any hating in here like "myspace sucks". I'm just out for some info and thought maybe some of you will have it.

I heard of myspace a while back but didnt think much of it. I thought it was another faceparty type of site.

But lately I've been seeing the movie and music industry put their time and effort into creating myspace accounts for films and albums which made me think maybe this is something quite popular.

What I'm wondering is how did this myspace thing get started? What is it? Why is it so popular? What has led to its success? Is it something that will phase out quickly? Are there any other associated sites?

I thought I'd ask these questions because to me its starting to look like a great marketing tool to get all sorts of advertisement out to kids.

Asim
 
Man of Honour
Joined
31 Jan 2004
Posts
16,335
Location
Plymouth
It's a US version of Faceparty which is more modern and beter designed, and was launched at just the right time.

It's a strange combination of factors that make a site take off so quickly.
 
Soldato
Joined
11 Jun 2005
Posts
3,606
Location
Liverpool
It allows people with no prior expereince or technical skills to create webpages about themselves. Since many people want to create a webpage, but lack any knowledge of how, or the inclination to learn, they found myspace let them do this. It will have gained popularity as people said "hey look at my webpage" and their friends go there, who also have no prior experience and want a page, and sign up, and the cycle continues. Or that's my theory.
 
Soldato
Joined
3 Aug 2005
Posts
4,534
Location
UK
It's popular because it targets the kind of naive, uninformed people who think building a page on the internet crammed full of cheesy animations, irritating javascript effects and god-awful embedded music videos then telling all your friends about it is fun.

Basically, it's social networking gone horribly wrong (or right, depending on how you value the internet) :)
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
13,308
Location
Belfast
Also, adding on what everybody above me has said, when so many people have signed up to a service, it inevitably becomes a target for people to try to sell products through. I'm assuming Myspace don't allow all-out corporate entries or something, or that they'd just fail miserably if they did, but music and films can get away with it and thus create awareness for themselves.

Secondly, for the smaller bands, it's a hell of a lot easier to set up a myspace account and upload a couple of songs than it is to buy webspace, hire someone to mantain it and post news, and keep the bandwith unrestricted were they to gain a following.
 
Soldato
Joined
3 Aug 2005
Posts
4,534
Location
UK
Weebull said:
Secondly, for the smaller bands, it's a hell of a lot easier to set up a myspace account and upload a couple of songs than it is to buy webspace, hire someone to mantain it and post news, and keep the bandwith unrestricted were they to gain a following.
Although Purevolume is much better suited to that task :)
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
13,308
Location
Belfast
Al Vallario said:
Although Purevolume is much better suited to that task :)
Ah yes, but see my first point for that. The more popular site gives you more chances of people finding out about your band via a link in a friend's profile or whatnot. Sometimes quantity outweighs quality. ;)
 
Soldato
Joined
16 Oct 2004
Posts
7,685
Location
Pratislava, Berk-shire
Old Turkey said:
Come now, fatiain, you love reading incoherent, eye cancerous profiles of angst ridden teenagers as much as the next man, admit it! admit it!
I just spent 5 mins browsing and I feel the will to live ebb away almost as quickly as the migraines and photoinduced epileptic fits are being brought on.
 
Back
Top Bottom